Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Anti-New Year's Resolutions

There is always buzz circulating about New Year's Resolutions, but what about the anti-resolution?

Send more emails. Email is a two-edged sword: it’s easy to send, but it’s just as easy to ignore. Indeed, even the Secretary of State needs to follow-up with her staff. So, in 2016, resolve to reply to more emails. The smallest acknowledgement — “thanks”; “confirmed”; “we’ll let you know” — will go a long way toward axing ambiguity and saving senders from crafting that dreaded “touching base”/“checking-in”/“circling back” missive.

Watch more cat videos. Everyone agency staffer has heard the phrase “viral video.” Whether a client wants one or you promise one, virality is near impossible. And yet, there’s one type of videos that consistently draws massive amounts of eyeballs. (Hint: they feature fluff and fur and... felines.) So, strive to watch more of these irresistibly funny animals in 2016. Study what makes them so fascinating, and then apply the same techniques to your own work.